High Court dismisses petition filed by suspended IAS official

Jabalpur: A petition filed by suspended IAS official Arvind Joshi questioning the contractual appointment of HS Sandhu as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was dismissed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which also directed him to deposit the legal cost of Rs 4,000 with the Special Police Establishment (SPE) within two weeks.

Upholding the DSP`s contractual appointment by the MP government for a year in the SPE Lokayukta, the High Court dismissed the petition filed by Joshi yesterday.

The DSP was probing a case registered under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the SPE against Arvind Joshi and his wife Tinoo Joshi, both IAS officials who are currently under suspension, pertaining to their assets which were found to be disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Joshi had challenged the Government order of September 20, 2012 extending Sandhu`s services for a year on contractual basis, after his retirement on August 31, 2012.

However, justifying the extension, the government stated that since Sandhu had been probing the criminal case against the IAS couple ever since it was registered, and therefore, to complete investigations in the matter, he was appointed for a year on a contractual basis.

The Division Bench of Justice Ajit Singh and Justice B D Rathi said that even the Lokayukta, who is a retired judge of the Supreme Court had recommended the state to extend Sandhu services for a year, to complete investigations.

The Lokayukta had registered case against the Joshis under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, and during the probe, the Lokayukta detected that the couple owned property worth nearly Rs 42 crore which was found to be grossly disproportionate to their known sources of income.